Daily Photo Galleries

Music Photo Galleries

So, maybe singers do say this all the time. But in Michael Buble's case, it really is true, he swears: This current, 40-city American tour, which comes to Consol Energy Center on Sept. 20, will give his fans the best Buble concert ever.

“To say that the show that I have now is not 10 times better than (his last tour) would be to devalue this show,” says Buble, the multiple Grammy-winning Canadian crooner and songwriter. “This is really something special. I'm in a different place; I'm more-seasoned. Production is massive, and it's far, far more music-heavy.”

Fans still will get an encore, but don't expect him to save the best for last, Buble says.

“I'm not saving my hits until the end of the night,” he says. “It's just hit after hit after hit.”

Buble says his new-and-improved concert mirrors his new album, “To Be Loved,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart — his fourth, consecutive No. 1 album — when it came out in April. Buble, who wrote four songs on this album, says he took extra care with this album, poring over every note, and sculpting the music to reflect the happy place where Buble is in life now.

“I think that I personally felt that it was time for me to elevate as an artist, as a writer, as a performer,” he says. “I really took the time to process. ... If I wanted this to be as good as I wanted it to be, I'd have to work even harder and even smarter.

“The word is ‘ambitious,' ” Buble says. “I've been hugely ambitious. I wanted it to be ... wonderful, I wanted it to be intimate and I wanted it to be real.

“When you see it, you'll get it,” he says. “If you're not there, you'll wish you had been.”

“To Be Loved” includes the single, “It's a Beautiful Day,” which Buble calls an “anti-love” song, but with a happy ending. It describes getting dumped by a flame, but then discovering that it was the best thing to happen to you. Another popular song, which Buble co-wrote, is “Close Your Eyes,” which he wrote not only about his wife, but all women in general, he says.

“The song came alive. I think people get their own message about it,” Buble says about “Close Your Eyes.” “I think it's about the strength that we give each other in partnership ... not just in romantic partnerships, but with parent, teachers, friends and confidants.”

Buble and his wife, Argentinian model Luisana Lopilato, welcomed baby Noah, their first child, in Vancouver on Aug. 27. The thrilled new dad has altered his touring schedule to accommodate his new family life. Instead of touring for weeks or months on end, Buble is touring for two weeks, then going home to his family for two weeks. This schedule benefits more than just his wife and son, because he gets to rest and avoid burnout, Buble says.

“It makes a better show for people. I come out and I'm fresh,” he says. On schedules with longer touring stints lacking breaks, “you get to the fifth week and your voice is shot.”

Since becoming a dad, Buble says two songs from his albums have more meaning for him now: the classics “You Make Me Feel So Young” and “Young at Heart,” which begin and end, respectively, the track list of “To Be Loved.”

“I love the message that you're only as old as you feel,” says Buble, who enjoys looking at his concert audiences and seeing everyone from little kids to octogenarians.

“I'm 37,” Buble says, “and I feel 18.”

Kellie B. Gormly is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at kgormly@tribweb.com.

TribLive commenting policy

You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our Terms of Service.

We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.

We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments  either by the same reader or different readers.

We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites.

We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.

We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.

We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sent via e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.

Print Source

Welcome to PrintSource, a division of Trib Total Media.

We have established a veteran team that provides daily and weekly newspaper companies with a comprehensive set of services that include design, print, packaging and delivery of their products, all from one source and location.

Gone are the days when each facet of newspaper printing and delivery had to be outsourced to different companies and venues. Now, PrintSource provides a viable solution with just one phone call.

Digital Sales

We offer a wide variety of traditional and new digital advertising options customized to fit your needs!

Whether you're just starting out, or you've been a keystone in the community for years, our knowledgeable staff can provide you with a customized package including online banners/advertisements, Social Media Marketing (Facebook / Twitter), Website development, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing solutions and much more!

Contact your local sales rep today for details, personalized proposal and a meeting to discuss how we can meet your needs.